--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I am not going to attempt a physical or…" description: "\"“I am not going to attempt a physical or medical analysis of death and its aftermath or a psychological or anthropological description of beliefs and p..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/418/n-t-wright-1173_death_i-am-not-going-to-attempt-a-physical-or_1499200.jpg" --- # I am not going to attempt a physical or medical analysis… ![“I am not going to attempt a physical or medical analysis of death and its aftermath or a psychological or anthropological description of beliefs and practices having to do with death. There are plenty of books about such things. Rather, I approach the question as a biblical theologian, drawing on…” quote by N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/418/n-t-wright-1173_death_i-am-not-going-to-attempt-a-physical-or_1499200.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/418/n-t-wright-1173_death_i-am-not-going-to-attempt-a-physical-or_1499200.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/418/n-t-wright-1173_death_i-am-not-going-to-attempt-a-physical-or_1499200.jpg) > ““I am not going to attempt a physical or medical analysis of death and its aftermath or a psychological or anthropological description of beliefs and practices having to do with death. There are plenty of books about such things. Rather, I approach the question as a biblical theologian, drawing on other disciplines but hoping to supply what they usually lack and what I believe the church needs to recapture: the classic Christian answer to the question of death and beyond, which these days is not so much disbelieved (in world and church alike) as simply not known.”” [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author frames death from a biblical theological perspective, seeking a classic Christian answer beyond academic analyses. **In simple terms:** He wants a church‑centric view of death and afterlife. Key Takeaway Seek theological grounding for understanding death. Themes theology death Christianity Mood reflective thoughtful Type theological expository When to use this quote - church preaching - personal grief counseling - faith education Key Concepts biblical eschatology pastoral care Questions to Reflect On - How can churches better teach about death? - What does a Christian view of afterlife offer comfort? A Different Perspective Academic studies may miss lived spiritual needs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) ## Related quotes > [The stranger in ancient Israel did not serve as a judge, although he received all the benefits of living in the land. The political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-north/the-stranger-in-ancient-israel-did-not-serve-as-a-judge-although-he/) [Gary North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-north/) > [“Death — the aftermath of it — is a strange thing to watch from the pedestal of immortality. I've seen death in every way:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-graudin/death-the-aftermath-of-it-is-a-strange-thing-to-watch-from-the/) [Ryan Graudin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-graudin/) > [If any man should ask me what is the first, second, and third part of being a Christian, I must answer 'Action!'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-brooks/if-any-man-should-ask-me-what-is-the-first-second-and-third-part-of/) [Thomas Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-brooks/) > [If we reject the Christian answer, we still have the problem. We're going to adopt some alternative, because the questions will not go away,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/if-we-reject-the-christian-answer-we-still-have-the-problem-we-re/) [Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/) > [“The question: What is a Christian? My answer: A Christian is someone who follows Jesus\* My former answer: A Christian is someone who has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scot-mcknight/the-question-what-is-a-christian-my-answer-a-christian-is-someone-who/) [Scot McKnight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scot-mcknight/) > [“If there are more dead than living, then the world is about death, and the question is: What are we to do with all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandar-hemon/if-there-are-more-dead-than-living-then-the-world-is-about-death-and/) [Aleksandar Hemon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandar-hemon/) > [“I said that the question about death, and more precisely, the confusion about death, lies at the very heart of human understanding, and in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-schmemann/i-said-that-the-question-about-death-and-more-precisely-the-confusion/) [Alexander Schmemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-schmemann/) > [The best way to kill a good thing is question it to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-hogan/the-best-way-to-kill-a-good-thing-is-question-it-to-death/) [Chuck Hogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-hogan/) > [I answer the heroic question Death, where is they sting? with It is here in my heart and mind and memories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/i-answer-the-heroic-question-death-where-is-they-sting-with-it-is/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [They say life is a question and death is the answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-arjona/they-say-life-is-a-question-and-death-is-the-answer/) Luis Arjona > [I answer the heroic question, 'Death, where is thy sting?' with 'It is in my heart and mind and memories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/i-answer-the-heroic-question-death-where-is-thy-sting-with-it-is-in/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [I think we live in slavery to fear. Most people don't have an answer to the death question and really don't even have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/i-think-we-live-in-slavery-to-fear-most-people-don-t-have-an-answer/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) > [As one gets older, this question of death, becomes more vexing and urgent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/as-one-gets-older-this-question-of-death-becomes-more-vexing-and/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [“Even when the tree falls, it makes the soil fertile to give birth to life. So where is the question of death? You live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aruna-shenoy/even-when-the-tree-falls-it-makes-the-soil-fertile-to-give-birth-to/) Aruna Shenoy > [“On one side it seems there is faith in a Creator-God - and at the same time, the rejection of his creation; and on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-schmemann/on-one-side-it-seems-there-is-faith-in-a-creator-god-and-at-the-same/) [Alexander Schmemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-schmemann/) ## More by N.T. Wright > [“This means that the church, the followers of Jesus Christ, live in the bright interval between Easter and the final great consummation. Let's make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/this-means-that-the-church-the-followers-of-jesus-christ-live-in-the/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [“The very mention of crucifixion was taboo in polite Roman circles, since it was the lowest form of capital punishment, reserved for slaves and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/the-very-mention-of-crucifixion-was-taboo-in-polite-roman-circles/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [“Sunday, kept as a commemoration of Easter ever since that event itself (a quite remarkable phenomenon when you come to think about it), is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/sunday-kept-as-a-commemoration-of-easter-ever-since-that-event-itself/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [“The point of trying to understand the cross better is not so that we can congratulate ourselves for having solved an intellectual crossword puzzle,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/the-point-of-trying-to-understand-the-cross-better-is-not-so-that-we/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [“there is no such thing as a god’s-eye view (by which would be meant a Deist god’s-eye view) available to human beings, a point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-god-s-eye-view-by-which-would-be-meant-a/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [“The “goal” is not “heaven,” but a renewed human vocation within God’s renewed creation. This is what every biblical book from Genesis on is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/the-goal-is-not-heaven-but-a-renewed-human-vocation-within-god-s/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [“having a hard enough time explaining to his disciples that he had to die; they never really grasped that at all, and they certainly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/having-a-hard-enough-time-explaining-to-his-disciples-that-he-had-to/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [“If we are talking about the victory over evil and the launch of new creation, it won’t make much sense unless we are working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/if-we-are-talking-about-the-victory-over-evil-and-the-launch-of-new/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [“The personal message of Good Friday, expressed in so many hymns and prayers which draw on the tradition of the Suffering Servant (Isaiah 53)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/the-personal-message-of-good-friday-expressed-in-so-many-hymns-and/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [“To recognize that the Psalms call us to pray and sing at the intersections of the times--of our time and God's time, of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/to-recognize-that-the-psalms-call-us-to-pray-and-sing-at-the/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [“Successful resistance to temptation may result in an increase of moral muscle, but that is because one is going to need it. A temptation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/successful-resistance-to-temptation-may-result-in-an-increase-of/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [“Blessings on the poor in spirit! The kingdom of heaven is yours” (Matt. 5:3) doesn’t mean, “You will go to heaven when you die.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/blessings-on-the-poor-in-spirit-the-kingdom-of-heaven-is-yours-matt-5/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [“As C. S. Lewis regularly remarked, the chronological snobbery of the modern age (i.e. the assumption that anything that comes after around 1750 is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/as-c-s-lewis-regularly-remarked-the-chronological-snobbery-of-the/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [“The kingdom of God is, at its heart, about God’s sovereignty sweeping the world with love and power, so that human beings, each made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/the-kingdom-of-god-is-at-its-heart-about-god-s-sovereignty-sweeping/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [“pre-Christian Judaism, including the disciples during Jesus’s lifetime, never envisaged the death of the Messiah. That is why they never thought of his resurrection,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/pre-christian-judaism-including-the-disciples-during-jesus-s-lifetime/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) [Explore all 278 N.T. Wright quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) ## More Death quotes > [“He wondered how it was fair that your dying should depend so much on when you were born.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/he-wondered-how-it-was-fair-that-your-dying-should-depend-so-much-on/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [I do not want to live at the cost of the life even of a snake. I should let him bite me to death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-not-want-to-live-at-the-cost-of-the-life-even-of-a-snake-i/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“It was beautiful. He thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life; that, having seen it, he could die content,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/it-was-beautiful-he-thought-he-had-never-seen-anything-so-beautiful/) [Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/) > [Retirement? You're talking about death, right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-altman/retirement-you-re-talking-about-death-right/) [Robert Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-altman/) > [With multiplayer, permanent death, and an ever-changing world to explore and conquer, 'A Valley Without Wind' might be the place you're looking for if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-manuel/with-multiplayer-permanent-death-and-an-ever-changing-world-to/) [Rob Manuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-manuel/) > [“What did you see?” she asked gently. His brow furrowed, as if he could not understand the question. Then his eyes turned to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-anthony-torino/what-did-you-see-she-asked-gently-his-brow-furrowed-as-if-he-could/) J. Anthony Torino > [Those whose life is long still strive for gain, and for all mortals all things take second place to money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/those-whose-life-is-long-still-strive-for-gain-and-for-all-mortals/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [“I practice Dying--every night-- But have not learned to, still-- Though Talented--by Mortal bones-- For such a common Skill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-powers/i-practice-dying-every-night-but-have-not-learned-to-still-though/) Alan W. Powers > [“You must understand the pain and grief of losing someone is nothing more than a function of survival.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-cooper/you-must-understand-the-pain-and-grief-of-losing-someone-is-nothing/) [Steven Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-cooper/) > [I am not a depressive person at all, but I reflect a lot on my life, and life in general, from the perspective of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-am-not-a-depressive-person-at-all-but-i-reflect-a-lot-on-my-life/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [“Death is a reality that calls the rest of life and all of our assorted strivings into sharp relief.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/death-is-a-reality-that-calls-the-rest-of-life-and-all-of-our/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [I love life. I love life to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmanuelle-riva/i-love-life-i-love-life-to-death/) [Emmanuelle Riva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmanuelle-riva/) > [I think when you’re dying you start looking for important things in the corners. You can’t let anything that seems even semi-important pass, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-crutcher/i-think-when-you-re-dying-you-start-looking-for-important-things-in/) [Chris Crutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-crutcher/) [Browse all 39,127 Death quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I am not going to attempt a physical or medical analysis of death and its aftermath or a psychological or anthropological description of beliefs and practices having to do with death. There are plenty of books about such things. 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